Facebook Messages is a Facebook feature that allows users to view text messages, chat messages, Facebook messages and even email, right from a single inbox. It enables users to prioritize messages from different senders, and to see full histories of their conversations with various contacts, in a single thread. Facebook Messages is expected to bring about true inbox convergence, which is why digital marketing professionals should prepare for it.

Here are some digital marketing strategies to help them out:

• Launch a Facebook business page immediately: It is important for digital marketing specialists to create a presence for their client on Facebook, as soon as possible. With Facebook Messages, users will be able to select who can send messages to them, as well as the order it will be placed in their inbox. As the number of pages a user can ‘like’ is limited, it is important they ‘fan’ your page quickly, so that the messages you send them are not bounced back.
• Merge email marketing content: Digital marketing experts should share short pieces of content from their marketing emails on their Facebook business page. Facebook users can be extremely particular about the things they ‘like’ on Facebook, as it defines their online identity to their friends. Hence, it is important to only post digital marketing content that they are likely to share, such as interesting news, tips and discount offers.
• Ask email subscribers to update their address: No one is quite sure how many people will migrate from their present email service to the new Facebook email address, but it is estimated that a significant number of people will do so. Therefore, digital marketing professionals should remind subscribers in their email subscription lists to update their email addresses, providing a link to enable them to do so immediately.
• Look out for churning email addresses: Digital marketing experts are known to categorise email subscribers according to their click-through behaviour. While checking this behaviour, they should attempt to spot trends which will tell them if particular users are migrating to other email addresses. They should then try to win back these users by asking them to update their email address.
• Combine your marketing strategy:  Consumers generally view the marketing messages of a brand as a coming from a single source, whether print ads, television commercials or online ads. Hence, a smart digital marketing strategy requires a certain amount of collaboration with customer call centres, sales people and retail store staff, to ensure that a customer’s newest email address remains on record.

It is not expected that all Facebook users will switch to Facebook Messages, however, it is important for marketers to realise that Facebook Messages can be a useful way to get your digital marketing message across to more Internet users.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing agency, and can be contacted on 0845 388 5583 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.